DWP Commercial Policy and Capability
| Posting date: | 27 May 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £72,664 to £77,740 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 10 June 2025 |
| Location: | Leeds |
| Company: | Government Recruitment Service |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 406725/2 |
Summary
As a key part of DWP, the CD shapes how services are delivered across hundreds of third-party contractual arrangements, with some of the largest industry suppliers. CD has a total spend of £3bn and secured savings for the taxpayer of £520m in 24/25.
DWP’s Commercial function is divided into several categories including the central support team policy sits within and is based across several Finance Group Hub locations. The team works with key stakeholders to design and deliver services to support some of DWP’s biggest key policies and organisational priorities.
This is an exciting opportunity to lead a central enabling team and support the delivery of the DWP Commercial Strategy. Our strategy is fundamental to the achievement of departmental objectives priorities and delivery of government missions, including the National Procurement Policy Statement.
The Policy, Process and Capability Lead is a pivotal role in our structure. In addition to ongoing policy support and technical capability delivery, the post holder will be fundamental to the embedding of the new procurement regulations, working with commercial teams and stakeholders to drive maximum value through adoption of new regulations. The post holder will also work with other teams across the directorate to transformation our processes and ways of working, creating opportunity to streamline and automate processes, facilitating the use of AI and automated controls in the procurement process where appropriate.
The post holder will report to Commercial Strategy and Change Lead and will be supported by a small, dedicated team with access to relevant subject matter experts across the enabling functions. The post holder will also work closely with key stakeholders, including Category Teams, Finance Colleagues and Cabinet Office and will act as the central support function lead for implementation of new procurement policy and improvements to our commercial contract management processes.
Responsibilities will include:
- Maintenance of commercial policy, process and supporting guidance, offering complex advice and support to commercial teams.
- Maintenance of commercial governance and controls, working with the commercial executive team, finance and commercial change to streamline and automate controls where appropriate.
- Driving change in DWP to embed the new Procurement Act whilst managing a period of dual running for existing regulatory and policy regimes.
- Supporting teams to review the commercial pipeline and driving decisions on category strategy, utilising the new regulations where appropriate and supporting early adopters to maximise the benefits of the new regime.
- Identifying, developing and sharing best practice implementation processes, tools and techniques and benchmark across other government departments and Cabinet Office.
- Acting as Intelligent Client for the central policy and contract management engagement forums, ensuring DWP is aligned against all areas (e.g., links with Sourcing Playbooks/Model Contracts/Domestic Policy).
- Leading the development and delivery of a technical commercial capability strategy, building technical commercial expertise throughout the commercial team for new and old regulations and contract management processes, ensuring capability is maintained throughout the period of dual running.
- Working with the operational contract management community to ensure contracts handed over to live running are managed by appropriately skilled / qualified performance managers (including leading on CMCP implementation).
- Line management responsibilities - ensuring that there is a sophisticated and highly responsive team.
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